Reconstruction
by Deus Namikaze
Summary: My take on the final two chapters of the manga. NaruSaku obviously.
1. 699

A/N: Never thought I would be doing this so soon but I really wanted to get this out there before The Scarf: Naruto-kun the Movie came out and just further shambles everything up. Now as you read this, I want you to read with an open mind. This is how I felt those final two chapters should've gone down. Maybe not exactly how I have written as the manga chapters were limited to about 17-20 pages, but pretty similar.

Another thing I want to add is that while there may be others who are doing the same thing, I have not read any of their fics so if there's anything similar or downright the exact same between this story and any other, sorry about that. I only know others are doing the same thanks to an Authors Note at the end of John Smith's 'One Big Uzumaki Family'.

A small thank you to Logan Locke for helping me to move on from dwelling on the manga's ending chapters. I really appreciate it.

**EDIT 13/12/2014:** Correcting spelling mistakes

* * *

><p>699<p>

He took a large breath, greedily gulping the fresh air as it tousled his blonde locks to and fro, eyes raised high to the blue sky splotched by white clouds. He felt the events of the past couple of weeks catching up to him.

If he were to tell a foreigner, and by that he meant someone not from the Elemental Nations because these said events had brought everyone together to reach an understanding with each other to the point that where you are from is of no consequence, what exactly he had been through they'll most likely think he was pulling a prank on them.

From being sent to an island that turned out to be a giant turtle to meeting his mother and discovering just what exactly went down on his day of birth, from joining a war he was initially forbidden from even knowing about to ending said war with everyone's help, from discovering the bitter fate surround Sasuke and himself to fighting possibly the strongest being in existence, from engaging in a death match with his brother in all but blood… to bringing back said brother from the darkness he had plunged himself in.

In a nutshell, it had been a hectic past couple of weeks.

And so far today had been just as stressful as the other days.

It was the day of the funerals to bury all those who had lost their lives in the war. A mass funeral conducted by the Hokage took place just a few hours ago and it was filled with tears and grief, just as expected.

It had hit him rather hard. Seeing all those coffins evenly spread over as a constant reminder of a promise he had failed to keep. A promise he had promised to himself. A promise to not allow anyone to die for his sake.

Yes, he knew that it was a very tall order. And yes he did take Itachi's warning to heart, the warning to not become so arrogant that you believe you are the only one who can accomplish anything. But it did nothing to soften the blow.

Just seeing all those tears…

His hearing, honed by the countless hours of training he had undertaken throughout his life, picked up the slight shuffling of feet along the beaten path as it came to stop a fair distance from him, but not within sight. He didn't need to enter Sennin Mōdo to discern the identity of whoever it was behind him. Only one person he knew behaved in such manner.

Once the funeral had ended and people begun to disperse to their homes or to bars, he had been approached by the Hyūga clan head with an invitation to join them for a reception in Neji's honour along with other clansmen who had also perished. Tenten and Rock Lee had also been recipients of the same invite so it wasn't as if he were the only non-Hyūga present. He accepted, if only for the fact that out of all of those who had lost their lives, Neji was the one he was closest to.

It was held in the clans' main meeting room, his first venture into such a place. There was food and drinks provided, not that he had the appetite to partake mind. Besides even if he did, there wouldn't have been any time for him to help himself seeing as he was constantly talking to one Hyūga or another, whether they were thanking him for his actions in the war or questioning him about future plans. He couldn't really say much about the latter except more training. That and helping the recovery process wherever he could.

Once everyone had settled, Hiashi gave a short speech, one that was filled with his regrets over the time he had lost that he could've spent with his nephew if only he had told him the true circumstances surrounding his father's death. However there were also fond memories to be shared such as his joy upon receiving the news of Neji's graduation, his promotion to Chūnin, along with the subsequent promotion to Jōnin. He expressed to the best of his abilities his relief after every mission which Neji returned from safely. He rounded off his speech with a salute to his genius nephew who was taken before his time.

Lee and Tenten also gave their contributions, the former giving a youth filled tribute while the latter gave a more personal one. The blond was asked if he had anything to say, to which he did. His was short and simple, to the point. And it left him on the verge of tears as the shock kicked in, which is why he left the hall after he had done his speech, discreetly of course. His feet had taken out of the Hyūga compound as a whole and towards the training fields.

"Naruto-kun?" her gentle voice brought him back to the present. With a soft sigh he turned to face her.

"Hinata."

"Are you okay?" Naruto's brows scrunched in confusion. "You left without saying anything so I was wondering if there was something wrong," she elaborated, flushing slightly, head lowered as she moved a lock of hair behind her ear.

The blond mentally face-palmed. Of course there would people who noticed his absence, the Hyūga were a clan of Ninja after all. Not to mention his unannounced exit was bound to raise a few concerns.

"Ah sumimasen, I just needed a bit of fresh air," he offered with an apologetic smile. She too gave her own smaller smile.

The pair simply stood there, Naruto with his left hand shoved into his pocket watching the trees sway with the breeze while Hinata had her hands clasped in front of her, her eyed centred on the ground. No words were exchanged between them, the silence only being broken by the chirping of the birds above them.

The birds free as Neji once desired to be.

The birds free as Neji now was.

"Erm-"/"Ano-"

Their eyes met each other as they both attempted to initiate conversation, unintentionally cutting each other off. Naruto, being the gentleman he was offered her to go first, however Hinata insisted he went forth.

_Damn this is gonna be awkward,_ he mused. "Can I ask you a question Hinata?" He received a nod, continuing, "When I fought Pein," she knew where this was going and stiffened slightly. Naruto noticed her movements but continued undeterred, "I was trapped by him, when you stepped in to save me. But before you did, you said you loved me…"

Her face gained a healthy shade of red playing across her cheeks as he trailed off. He had an unusually serious look on his face as he scuffed his foot on the ground, releasing a plume of dirt in the air.

"You said," He continued, "that I showed you the right way… that you were always chasing me, wanting to overtake me, wanting to be with me…" he caught her gaze once more. "You said my smile saved you…"

_And now here comes the tough part…_

"Y'know, when you said those things to me, I was shocked… like no one's ever said something like that to me before. I had to examine myself y'know? Like see how I felt, what was I gonna do…"

The hopeful glint shining through those eyes made this all the more harder.

"I'm really flattered, don't get me wrong… touched even. But…"

He could see the tears welling up in her eyes, and he really felt like placing a good Rasengan to his gut. He didn't want to do this, but he couldn't lead her on any longer. It wasn't good for either of them.

And on this day too… what kind of a monster was he?

Releasing a big sigh, he wanted to drop his eyes to the ground but decided upon it. If he was going to do this, the least he could do was look into her eyes as he did so.

"I'm sorry; I can't give you what you want. Not when my heart belongs to another. It wouldn't be fair on either of us," Naruto said.

Hinata sniffed, swallowing the lump that had built itself in her throat. "B-But why can't I be given a chance at least?"

"Would you be happy knowing that you would never occupy the first place in my heart, maybe joint first, but never solely?" Naruto asked. "Would you be content knowing that there would be times when I may place Sakura's priorities over yours?"

She wanted to rage at him, scream and shout at him. Asking him why he couldn't feel the same way for her as she does for him. She wanted to beg him to reconsider his decision, that she'll change his mind and with time Sakura wouldn't mean anything to him other than a friend.

But deep down she knew that he spoke the truth. She wouldn't be happy if he decided to celebrate Sakura's birthday rather than attend dinner with her father, she wouldn't be happy if he asked her to allow Sakura tag along with them for the Tanabata festival because she didn't have a date…

She knew that once Naruto set his mind to do something, there was no changing it.

Sasuke's presence in Konoha was evidence of that.

"H-Hai," she finally whispered. "You're right, I wouldn't have been h-happy if any of that happened." She wiped away the tear trails that stained her cheeks with the back of her palms, sniffling slightly. "T-Thank you for considering my feelings Naruto-kun."

He looked remorseful and felt even worse, but he knew there was no other way about it. This was her chance to let go of him, to be free like the birds in the air.

"Gomen'nasai Hinata," he said, meaning every word. "I know that this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but I know that there is someone out there who would treat you the way you deserve to be treated, who will love you the exact way you do them."

Hinata nodded and smiled softly. "I just hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me one day," Naruto added. "I guess I should leave now…" He turned and took a step forwards, away from the Hyūga.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata called, halting him in his tracks. When he shifted his body to face her, she continued, "Please don't go yet!"

"Hinata…"

"I'll forgive you on one condition." A solitary blond brow raised in wonderment of what the terms could be. Really, he was prepared to do whatever it took to gain her forgiveness. He just hoped it wasn't anything perverted like strip off and run around the village or something.

His fears were laid to rest as she opened up her arms to him, a grin that reminded him of one that he'd seen several times in the mirror painted across her face. Her eyes were closed though, hiding the pain that was still there and halting the tears that were bound to flow.

"I-If it's okay with you, could you give me a hug please?" He smiled a small smile that was full of sadness, before heading over and giving her the best hug he could manage with only one arm.

She was a great girl, of that Naruto was sure of, but she wasn't Sakura. Only Sakura could make him feel the way he did, only Sakura could make his heart jump whenever she walked into a room, only Sakura could make his breath get caught in his throat.

A crush built on admiration would've never worked. What if he failed or wasn't all she believed him to be? What then? Would her feelings change or would she try to convince herself that nothing was wrong?

He had no choice but to set her straight.

"Ano Naruto-kun?"

"Hm?" Naruto released the girl in his arm, taking a small step back to put some space in between them, idly noting his shirt was slightly wet from tears. "What is it Hinata?"

"What are you going to do about Sakura-chan?" She asked. Seeing Naruto's confused look, she elaborated once more, "Sasuke-kun is back in the Village now, so I was just wondering…?"

Ah, that's what she meant.

He would've threw up his mask of happiness, and flash her a 'nice guy thumbs up' and tell her everything will be okay, but that would've been an insult. Seeing as she had just poured out her honest feelings to him, the least he could do was pay her honesty back in kind.

"I really don't know," Naruto answered lifting his eyes to the clearing blue sky. "Even if she does end up with Sasuke, I'll survive as long as she's happy.

"Because as long as Sakura-chan is happy… well that's enough for me-ttebayo."

* * *

><p>They travelled along a well-used path, quite possible the most used path in the Village, as they headed towards the entrance gate on their way to see Sasuke off. It was just Sakura and Kakashi, which Sakura found odd as she expected Naruto to be with them. Instead he said he had a few urgent things to do while flashing them that grin of his with his eyes all scrunched up and telling them to go on without him. Kakashi left without a second thought though she lingered a bit before following her sensei upon Naruto's urging.<p>

"_Don't keep Sasuke waiting Sakura-chan! You know how that bastard is!"_ He had said with a light tone.

It didn't sit well with her the way he was behaving.

But she supposed this was it. Sasuke was leaving on a journey for a couple of years where he would meet all sorts of people. If there was any time to get her feelings straight it was now. Yes she had confessed to him in the war, but that was more out of a desire to prevent him from leaving again.

This was the crucial moment.

But alas her feelings were conflicted.

On one hand, there was Sasuke, the last Uchiha and her teammate. The boy who she had loved through her Academy days and even through graduation. The one who she had told Ino she would win but at the cost of their friendship. The one who was on her mind more often than not. The one who she had given her heart to those years ago but had it broken and thrown back at her.

One the other hand, there was Naruto, the Kyūbi Jinchūriki and also her teammate. The boy who has loved her for as long as she could remember, and never failed to let her know of it. The one who always asked her out on a date despite the constant rejections. The one who was on her mind more often than Sasuke had been these past couple of years. The one who she had found herself caring for more and more to the point where it could be considered… The one who had also rejected her confession just like his teammate had done.

She sighed softly; being in an emotional quandary was never a good thing. Wondering what she could do, she turned to the only person she had available to ask for advice.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Mah mah Sakura-chan, there's no need to be so formal around me," Kakashi responded giving her his eyesmile and a wave of his hand. "Call me Kakashi-sensei."

"Hokage-sama c-"

"Sakura… don't make me order you…"

Sakura huffed, grumbling something about Hokages abusing their power for unnecessary reasons. "Kakashi-sensei," she ignored Kakashi's 'that's better'; "I need your advice on something."

"Does it have something to do with a certain blond knucklehead?"

Sakura whirled round to her sensei who looked full of mirth. "H-How did you…?"

"You've been looking like that since we left him."

"Like what?"

"Like you were confused about something, like something was troubling your mind," Kakashi answered. "Am I also correct in assuming Sasuke has something to do with this?"

"Careful Sensei, one would think that you're a mind-reader…"

Kakashi chortled. "Oh stop it Sakura-chan! You're making me blush!" he continued to giggle before he assumed an air of importance. "I will not attempt to lie and pretend I have experience in this sort of thing. However Sakura, what I do know that is important is your happiness.

"Think about the thing that makes you _truly_ happy. Once you've done that then everything else should fall into place."

_What makes me __**truly**__ happy? _

Sure things the things such as training with Tsunade-sama made her happy. Having Team 7 back together again was another great source of happiness for her.

But what made her truly happy?

She had expected to see images of Sasuke holding her like he did back in the war, but even she knew that it was only out of necessity to prevent her from collapsing rather than being motivated by any feelings. She had expected to see an image of a married life with Sasuke, her having gave up being a Kunoichi so she could devote her time to being a housewife and raising the kids. Sasuke's presence would be limited as he would have other things to do but she was okay with that because she would be able to have a close relationship with the children. She would be able to provide enough love for both parents right?

However, she would be lying to herself if she were to say that was what made her truly happy. Rather than the potential life with her black haired teammate filling her mind, it was the moments that she had spent so far with her blond teammate.

All the things he had done for her over the years be they cheering her up when her insecurities kicked in, or just being there to lend an ear and talk about life in general. He constantly put his life on the line for her, without any regard for his own safety such as when she found out he was the one to save her from Gaara who was an unstoppable force back then. Not even Sasuke for all of his skills could stand up to Gaara, but Naruto exceeded his limitations to protect not only his home Village, but her. And in doing so, he changed Gaara for the better into a man that became the Kazekage.

Even the goofy things he did were all a part of his loveable nature. The pranks he did in the Academy, while she expressed annoyance towards it to keep face for Sasuke, deep down she loved them.

He had never been angry with her except when she called Kakashi-sensei to stop him and Sasuke from fighting on the hospital rooftop, and back in Tetsu no Kuni when she confessed to him. But even then, the confession only elicited anger because he believed she wasn't being honest to herself, putting her feelings above his own.

Just as he did when he promised to bring Sasuke back.

All these things he did for her… it was impossible for her not to find herself falling for him.

She knew what she had to do. There was only one person who could make her truly happy.

And it wasn't her Uchiha teammate.

"Ohayō Sasuke!" greeted Kakashi, letting Sakura know that they had reached their destination.

The time for thinking was over; it was now the time for action.

She listened as Kakashi explained the terms of Sasuke's freedom, making sure to reiterate the fact that he was only allowed to walk free due in part to his actions in the war, but mainly due to Naruto's vouching, and his own to a lesser extent.

Just another example of Naruto's selflessness.

"Are you really gonna leave?" Sakura asked, her eyes darting towards where she knew the stump of his arm was. "Tsunade-sama is just about to finishing creating your artificial arm out of Hashirama-sama's cells…"

He explained that it was a personal journey for him. He needed to see the state of the world in order to determine what he is to do next.

"And if I asked you to take me with you?" Sakura asked, making sure to hold Sasuke's gaze.

"This is a journey of redemption for me. My sins have nothing to do with you," Sasuke stated.

_I thought as much_, Sakura mused. She didn't expect him to agree anyway; rather it was just a final confirmation that she was correct in her feelings. Ignoring Kakashi's burning gaze into her face, she replied, "I wouldn't have gone with you if you had said yes anyway."

"Huh?" Kakashi was clearly confused. "Then why did you ask?"

"Because…" she sighed, "I just needed to clear things up. Besides, if I went with you there's someone I will miss more than I will miss you."

Sasuke watched her with his mismatched eyes. _Hn, seems like the Dobe has finally done it,_ he thought with a smirk.

With the ocular powers granted from his left eye, he teleported in front of Sakura, placing his two fingers on her larger than average forehead. "Well I'll be seeing you, my annoying imōto," he told her with a genuine albeit small smile. "And thank you…"

He whisked away, striding out of the gate, black cloak flowing with his movements. She watched him go with a small smile of her own.

_No, thank __**you**__ Sasuke-kun…_

* * *

><p>He walked along with measured steps only halting as he noticed his blond teammate loitering by the trees.<p>

"… I didn't think you'd come," Sasuke finally said, breaking the silence between them. Naruto merely shrugged, and Sasuke finally noticed that he too had yet to have this arm sorted out.

Their missing arms.

A constant reminder of their struggles and the lengths Naruto went through just to save him from the darkness. It was a reminder of his salvation.

But most importantly, it was a reminder that people really can come to understand each other's hearts.

"I'm returning this," Naruto spoke, handing over Sasuke's former hitai-ate, marred with the evidence of their first battle at the Valley of the End.

"I'll hold onto this, until we can really finally settle things between us," Sasuke replied with the promise of a tie-breaker battle as he took the item from the blond. "You should head back now, she's waiting for you," he continued.

"Who?"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto's bafflement. "Always the Dobe eh?" he sniped as he moved on to resume his journey.

"Oi teme! Sasuke! Come back and explain what you're talking about!" Naruto yelled indignantly after Sasuke.

"Tsk so noisy," remarked the Uchiha before teleporting away to preserve his eardrums.

Naruto snarled, riled up that even now Sasuke was still able to get one over him. But he laid his feelings to rest as a smile took over his visage. He was happy to see that Sasuke still retained his sense of humour, as twisted as it was.

Now back to Konoha and figure out just what that bastard was talking about.

* * *

><p>The Uchiha travelled the beaten path through the forest. He came to a halt, resting his hand on his hip.<p>

"You might as well show yourself. I know you're there so there's no point in trying to hide your presence," he said to seemingly no one.

"Heh, still as cocky as usual eh Sasuke?" came the voice of Suigetsu who revealed himself, closely followed by Jūgo. Now just the question of where was Ka-

"SASUKE-KUUUUN!"

Ah that's where she was, Sasuke mused as a body glomped into him. "Why do you keep on leaving me like that?" she pouted.

"Because you're an annoyance that's why!" sniped Suigetsu. He was rewarded with a chakra chain dispersing his head for his troubles, but Karin hadn't finished. She marched over and rained blows on Suigetsu that only served to slow down his regeneration.

"Urusai! Nobody cares about what you think, right Sasuke-kun?" she asked.

Sasuke merely sighed before heading onwards. Feeling the eyes of the former Team Taka on his back, he stopped and turned to look at them.

"Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for?"

Karin grinned and ran over to join him as Jūgo stopped to help Suigetsu. Sasuke had to hide the smirk that forced its way to the open.

At least with his team here there wouldn't be any dull moments.

* * *

><p>It was dark out as he traversed the sparsely occupied streets. There were a few commuters here and there, on their way home or to bars or clubs, all greeting him as they passed him. Most people were asleep in their homes though, seeing as the day was almost over.<p>

But Naruto couldn't sleep. Sasuke's words kept on ringing in his head, going round and round like the 'blades' on his Rasenshuriken.

Naruto huffed in annoyance. Of all the nights for Sasuke to give him a sleepless night it had to be this one, the night before the procedure to attach the artificial arm made from the Shodai's cells. Tsunade-bāchan had gave him explicit instructions to head to bed early and he really wasn't up to receiving her blows, or that of Sakura-chan's since she'd most likely be there to assist.

It was like the damn bastard did this on purpose!

The blond sighed, using his hand to massage the bridge of his nose. There was no point in getting so worked up over it now, he'd have his chance to kick Sasuke's ass when he sees him again.

He was about to head home before his eyes spied his female teammate sitting on a bench with her back facing him. Approaching her, he called "Sakura-chan!" he grinned as she responded to his voice.

"Naruto…" Sakura wasn't really expecting the person who had been plaguing her thought to just magic himself up. "What're you doing here?"

"Ah well I just felt like taking a walk-ttebayo," Naruto sat next to her. "What about you?"

"Same as you couldn't sleep," answered Sakura giving him a knowing look. She found that over the past couple of years, she had become able to read Naruto with surprising ease. Naruto's sheepish expression only served to reinforce her beliefs.

"Ah lemme guess," Naruto began, "You're missing Sasuke already right?" He refrained from using his endearment for his rival since he was sure Sakura wouldn't appreciate it.

Sakura raised a solitary brow, "Of course I'm missing Sasuke-kun, I miss all of my friends when either of us goes on journeys for that long. Besides," she added, "If I went with Sasuke-kun there's someone I would miss even more." She sneaked a glance towards her blond companion, seeking to discern his thoughts.

_Huh? Sakura-chan would miss someone more than the bastard? _He clicked his fingers in realisation. "Ah its Tsunade-bāchan isn't it?" he asked, mentally patting himself on his back.

"Maybe, but no. Try again."

"Well if it's not bāchan, it has to be Kaka-sensei," he said, but upon seeing Sakura begin to shake her head, he quickly added, "Wait no! I got it, it's Ino isn't it?"

"Nope!" she giggled. It was fun to tease him; he made all sorts of funny facial expressions when thinking.

_Who could it be?_ He wondered. Then it dawned on him. _No!_

"Sakura-chan… don't tell me you've got a secret boyfriend!" he accused. It was clearly the only and most viable option. Why else would she have said such a thing if not to subtly inform him that she was seeing someone else?

"No way!" she exclaimed with a slight blush dusting her cheeks.

He sighed, completely stumped on who this mystery person was. "Could you tell me?" he pleaded.

She gave him a gentle smile.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"B-But why me? What happened to Sasuke?"

"I not in love with Sasuke-kun anymore, my feelings for him are different. I haven't been in love with him for a while now," she answered.

"Then what about the war? When you told him that you loved him?"

"That was more out of a desire to get him to stay, to stop you two from fighting each other," her eyes flicked to the empty sleeve of Naruto's jacket.

Naruto frowned, following her line of sight. "And Tetsu no Kuni? What happened there?"

Sakura sighed in response. She knew it was coming but digging up those memories still hurt. "I was telling the truth, Naruto. It's just that my feelings weren't clear back then so my conviction was lacking."

"So how do you know it isn't sti-!"

A soft pair of lips were pressed to his own, cutting off anything else he had to say. It was the best thing that he had ever felt in his life. While saving Sasuke came a close second, this was the girl of his dreams kissing him.

Nothing could beat that.

Sakura pulled back, a loving smile adorning her features. "I'm in love with you, Uzumaki Naruto. No one else."

It was everything he could've wished for. In just a matter of minutes, his whole day had turned around for the better.

He had let Kakashi and Sakura go on ahead so she and Sasuke could have their moment with each other. He'd resigned himself to have lost Sakura for good, but despite that he knew that he couldn't love anyone else the way he did Sakura, nobody would be able to take her place in his heart. He was prepared to live out his life without a partner of the sorts; keeping himself devoted to the one girl he's ever loved.

But it seems like those plans can now flitter away.

Sakura was on cloud nine as well. She was finally able to confess her true feelings for the person she loved, and if his dopey grin was anything to go by, there was no chance of him rejecting her again. This moment couldn't get any bet-

"I love you Sakura-chan!"

And in a matter of seconds, she lifted from cloud nine to ten. Only Naruto could make her feel like this with a few simple words.

Back when she was imagining a potential future with either Sasuke or Naruto, she wasn't too sure of how it would be with Naruto. But not anymore.

In their future together, she wouldn't need to give up being a Kunoichi or an Iryō-nin to be a housewife. Together they would share the burden of any housework, and despite his heavy schedule of being Hokage, he'd still make time for the children. He won't turn out to be an angry father only concerned about his image or responsibilities. Though she may be pushed to her wits end with a horde of little Naruto's running amok, there would never be a dull moment and she'll love every minute of it. They may not be the model family, but the love would be there.

And that was the only thing that mattered.

"Ne Sakura-chan?" She re-focused to see Naruto idly scratching his cheek. "Does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

She gave him another brilliant smile. "Of course! That is, if you want to be?"

"YATTTTAAAAAAAAA!" Well, that was the only answer she needed. After berating him for waking up the neighbours, she rose to her feet with a yawn.

"It's getting late now Naruto, we should try to get some sleep now."

Naruto rose up to join her, "Come on Sakura-chan, I'll walk you home."

Taking his offered hand, they headed off towards her house. Their journey was silent, but comfortable. They were both happy beyond what they thought was possible and all fears were laid to rest.

What was there to fear when they had each other?

* * *

><p>AN: Chapter's a wrap. The next one should come out tomorrow along with an afterword in which I will explain all my thought processes as I made these chapters along with answering any questions.

Thank you for reading.


	2. 700

A/N: Here's the final chapter of this two-shot. The following one is an afterword. Thank you all who have followed/favourite/reviewed. I really appreciate it.

Just to let you know, whatever scenes not shown/mentioned proceed just like the manga counterpart.

**EDIT 13/12/2014:** Correcting spelling mistakes

* * *

><p>700<p>

"FIIIIINALLYYYY! CLASS IS OVER!" He exclaimed, ignoring the fact that he'd just cut off Aburame-sensei. He was sure Aburame-sensei was levelling him with one of his signature stoic stares that tended to crack every student, but he didn't care. "OI MINA! THE GREAT ME, THE ONE WHO SHALL STAND ABOVE ALL KAGE'S, HAS A KILLER PRANK FOR YA TODAY! SO SPREAD THE WORD AND LOOK OUT FOR IT!" a mischievous cackle followed to top it off.

"Oi Shinachiku!" Shinachiku's attention was successfully caught, as slippery as it tended to be at times. "Are you stupid? Today the Gokage Kaidan is being held in our village so there's going to be extra protection and lookouts."

"Yeah that's the whole point!" Shinachiku pouted, "Only someone as great as me would be able to pull it off! Wait; don't tell me you want in Shikadai?"

They were interrupted by Inojin who reminded them of their training that they did together, but Chōchō pulled out, mentioning her plans with Anko-sensei.

"Well since your training has been cancelled, you are coming with me!" the blond exclaimed.

"So troublesome," Shikadai drawled, "What do you think Rekka would say about this?" Shinachiku blushed heavily and grimaced.

Sarutobi Rekka, daughter of Yūhi Kurenai and the late Sarutobi Asuma and currently the youngest Jōnin in the force. She was often around the Uzumaki household due to her working closely with the Hokage, mainly as his bodyguard.

Not that he needed one.

However, Shinachiku didn't care about any of that. As far as he was concerned, Rekka was his girl; yeah she may treat him like a kid, and was quite – very – strict on him at times, but he knew she was the one for him.

"It don't matter what Rekka-chan says!" Shinachiku huffed indignantly. "As long as she likes it, and I know she will, then I've done an even better job!"

"Really? Are you sure about that? Come on Chiku; is that how the Hokage's son is supposed to act? Quit being so troublesome…"

Shinachiku growled, the irritation visible on his features. "Bah! Whatever! I'm still gonna do it-ttebasa!" With heavy stomps, he marched out of the classroom, his mood having soured.

He failed to notice the black haired girl who followed him.

* * *

><p>Her hands brushed away the dirt that had accumulated since her last visit from the tombstone which read 'Hyūga Neji', before placing a flowerpot containing freshly bloomed sunflowers. Saying a silent prayer for her dear cousin, she pondered whether Neji was happy wherever he was.<p>

"Kō-kun?"

"Hai Hinata-sama?" Kō answered from his spot further back. He had refrained from getting closer to give Hinata the privacy needed to pay her respects.

"Do you think Neji-nīsan would be happy with how things are?" she asked, turning to Kō. From the slight crease around her brows he could see how much his response meant to her.

Kō answered, "I'm sure, no I _know_ he is happy with how things are. We're in an era of peace that we've all worked towards. You've become clan head and removed the Juinjutsu seal from the Branch Family… his sacrifice wasn't in vain Hinata-sama. He, more than anyone else, would be proud of everyone, you especially."

Hinata listened to his words, keeping her eyes on Kō, searching for any signs of deceit. Since her ascension to clan head she'd been thrust into a world of politics, a terrible combination for one with a gentle nature such as herself. It wasn't long before she found out that there were those who could have your back, only to stab it when they had something to gain, no matter how trivial it was.

Since then, Hinata realised that peace had not been secured simply by defeating the Akatsuki or Madara or Kaguya. It was not guaranteed by simply winning the war on the battlefield and the enemies were not only the S-class missing-nins. There were still enemies, the ones who sat in the meetings with you, who did the plotting but left the dirty work onto others; they were the ones who wanted the power to control from behind their desks, aspiring to be even greater than the Kages.

Those were the true enemies of this day and age. It was because of this, and her father's warnings that instilled a deep seated caution inside of her, making her instinctively search all for any signs of deceit while she spoke with them, no matter who they might be.

Luckily, she had people she could trust. Her father and sister for one, along with Kō. There were also her former teammates along with Kurenai and the Konoha 10. It was rather tough for her to interact with Sakura for the first couple of weeks after Neji's funeral. She really wanted to hate the girl but found that she couldn't once she could see the love Sakura and Naruto had for each other, only then could she see for herself what Naruto was telling her those years back. She was no longer under the illusion that Naruto would look at her the same way he did Sakura.

To her surprise, she and Sakura had become best of friends over the years, cumulating with her being named as Shinachiku's godmother. Ino had thrown a fit of course, threatening to throttle Naruto to the young man's dismay, but Sakura was having none of it stating she felt that the child would need a – in Sakura's words – level-headed role-model in their life to guide them. However Ino's whining's failed to cease and grated on Sakura's nerves to the point of being promised child number two as her godchild.

"Hinata-sama?" Kō called, regaining her attention. There was a faint blush on his cheeks which Hinata quickly realised it was most likely due to her staring.

"Gomen'nasai Kō-kun," she rose from her crouched position, heading back towards Kō. "And thank you. For everything."

Kō flashed her a grin in response, "Come on Hinata-sama. Let's get something to eat before your next meeting."

* * *

><p>Shinachiku's previous irate mood had settled down to a mild level of fuming. He and Shikadai were great friends, if anything the Nara was his best friend which was no surprise since Shikadai's dad was the Hokage's advisor. As a result, the boys found themselves hanging out with each other more often than not. He also knew that Shikadai had a unique personality, the Nara laziness coupled with his mother's bluntness which only really came to the surface when he was getting annoyed.<p>

However, Shikadai's words had struck a nerve in him. And it wasn't even the part about Rekka either.

Kicking a stone along, he faintly wondered if Shikadai headed home or went to train with Inojin, recalling that Chōchō had gone to gorge on food with Anko. He rather enjoyed hanging out with the young Akimichi. She was rather blasé about everything, not caring if people called her fat.

Well, to be honest she didn't care about most non-food related things in general. Chōchō also had the honour of being one of the handful of people who could keep up with him and his dad when it came to Ramen.

Strangely enough, his mum had been part of that group over the past six months. Probably something to do with Baby Uzumaki in her tummy, Shinachiku guessed.

And then there was Inojin. Shinachiku didn't mind the pale boy at first but then Inojin started to look at his mum in a weird way. He dismissed it at first, but when the blushes began whenever his kā-chan interacted with Inojin, it became annoying.

Now Shinachiku knew his kā-chan was a very beautiful woman, his dad was always constantly reminding everyone, but he wasn't amused with Inojin's behaviour. When he confronted Inojin about it, he had the nerve to compare it to Shinachiku's love for Rekka. Last time he checked Rekka wasn't married to the Hokage with an amazing son and another kid on the way.

He warned Inojin to back off but Inojin gave him one of his creepy smiles in response.

He glanced upwards, thinking about how he could prank Inojin so that he gets the message when he spied the sign for the Ninja Goods store. Entering, he checked to see if there was anyone behind the counter, his thoughts concerning Inojin pushed to the back of his mind.

"Kon'nichiwa! How can I help? Just to let you know, I won't be able to sell you any sharp objects without an adult," informed the assistant.

"Do you have any heavy-duty war paint?" he asked, adding, "The waterproof one_?" Hehe, that way the Kage's will definitely see the mark of my greatness!_

His hopes came crashing down though. "Sorry, we stopped stocking those since there wasn't any demand around these parts. The owner has taken the rest with her to sell."

"Where'd she go?!" He had to track her down quickly, lest he had to settle for measly regular paint.

"She's gone to Suna and won't be back for another month."

"SUNA?! WHAT'S SHE DOIN' THERE?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Suna<strong>

"Alright class, today we're going to practice with senbon so everyone come and collect ten each and head over to your targets."

"But Tenten-sensei why do we have to do this? We're puppeteers; the puppets will shoot the senbon not us!"

"Because my dear child, how can you expect your puppet not to miss when you yourself can't hit a target perfectly? Now do I need to demonstrate the uses of having a good aim on you or do you want to start now?" she asked with a sickly sweet smile.

"N-No sensei! There's no need for that, I'll start right away!" the student stuttered as he scampered away.

* * *

><p><strong>Konoha<strong>

He heard the voices coming from behind the door and quickly schooled his feature to that of someone in great discomfort.

"_He's through here."_

"_Thank you."_

The door opened and in stepped Uzumaki Sakura, the heavily pregnant Head of the Hospital and Hokage's wife. "Ah Ino-kun! What can I do for you?"

It became harder for Inojin to hold up his act as he blushed in embarrassment at his nickname. If it were anyone else calling him that he would've reacted differently but Sakura wasn't anyone… she was special to him.

"Sakura-obachan…"

"Now now Ino-kun, what did I tell you to call me?" Sakura chided.

"Sakura-nēchan…" Inojin blush intensified, his already red face bleeding into a deeper crimson shade.

For as long as he could recall, Sakura has always insisted on being called his nēchan, saying something about being called aunty made her feel old. Not wanting to be one-upped by her best friend , Inojin's highly competitive mother also insisted Shinachiku did the same for her.

Instead, the younger blond called her an old hag, laughing merrily as he ran away from the older blonde.

Sometimes Inojin wondered how such an uncouth person could ever be related to someone as wonderful as his nēchan. It must've been inherited from the father's side, he considered.

"Hai, so what can I do for you?" Sakura asked.

"Errm I think I twisted my ankle during practice today."

"Really?" Sakura questioned, "I didn't know you guys had practice today. Every time you have one coming up Chiku-kun is always shouting about how it's his time to surpass the Kage's…" she trailed off watching how Inojin's visage sunk.

Taking a seat next to him on the gurney, she asked, "What's wrong Ino-kun? You know you can tell me anything."

"It's just that we've got our Ino-Shika-Chō training today…"

"Let me guess, Chōchō has gone off with Anko-sensei and it's too troublesome for Dai-kun?"

"Yeah and kā-san is pissed off already since we were late to begin with and then started arguing with Karui-obachan. It happens all the time but I don't really see the point of it all, it's not like we're going to need to use the formations on anyone thanks to you and the rest of them. No one is going to be a threat to this peace that we have."

Sakura hummed, understanding where he was coming from. "Well you are right about that, but your Ino-Shika-Chō formations are tradition for your families and Konoha. It's something to be passed on to the next generation like Suna and their puppetry or Kiri and the Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū. You can think of it as leaving your legacy for the next generations."

Inojin nodded, finally understanding why his okā-san put so much emphasis on it. She never really explained the reasoning to him, only telling him it was important.

"Ne Sakura-nēchan, does your family have any traditional jutsu's or formations?" he questioned.

Sakura gave a small chuckle. "Well, I'm from a civilian family so I learned everything from the Academy onwards. However Naruto's otō-san invented the Rasengan and brought back the Hiraishin. Naruto has already taught Konohamaru the Rasengan and Kakashi-sensei also knows it as well so I guess that's more of a teacher-disciple jutsu.

"But Naruto has learnt the Hiraishin and plans on teaching Shinachiku so you could say that's our family jutsu."

Inojin could only tremble as he imagined the horror that Shinachiku would cause with the Hiraishin at his disposal. Even he has heard of the tales surrounding the jutsu, being the jutsu to end the Daisanji Ninkai Taisen, thus carving the Yondaime's legacy in Konoha's history books.

"Well Ino-kun, I think we should get going now," Sakura said as she got up with slight difficulty.

Inojin nodded and followed her out of the room.

"Sakura-nēchan?"

"Hai?"

"D-Do you love me?" his head was bowed to hide his returning blush, but he inwardly cursed his stuttering.

Sakura raised a brow at him, "Of course I do. You're my godson after all."

Inojin sighed. He had a long way to go before he could take her away from the Nanadaime.

* * *

><p>"Nanadaime-sama!""Big news!" came the joint call from Moegi and Udon as they burst into the Hokage office, panic written across both their faces.

"Moegi and Udon?" questioned Shikamaru. "We have to head to the Gokage Kaidan, it'll have to wait."

"But we can't let the other villagers like this!" reiterated Udon.

The Hokage sighed. "Let me guess, Shinachiku did something again?" he asked, cracking his neck. "Seems like I need to teach him another lesson."

* * *

><p>"HYAH HAA!" Came the cry of one blond Uzumaki dangling from a rope in front of the Hokage Monument. "AS A GIFT TO YOU ALL, THE GREAT ME HAS DECORATED THE HOKAGE MONUMENT FOR YOU! I, WHO SHALL SURPASS THE KAGE'S, ACCEPT YOUR GRATITUDE!"<p>

He could see the masses gathering below, all pointing up and talking amongst themselves. He spied the forms of Kono-nī and Iruka, who he recalled as being his parent's Academy instructor amongst those who were on the roof of the administration building. Looking closely, he noticed that people seemed to be pointing behind him rather than at him.

He wanted to see for himself, but then he saw and felt it, the golden rays of light that were spilling around him, surrounding him in its warm embrace. The power rolling off him in waves was palpable.

"SEE, I HAVE ASCENDED TO A NEW LEVEL! HOLY AM I ALONE THROUGHOUT HEAVEN AND EARTH!" Shinachiku declared and he swore he heard the heaven bells ringing in approval. "THERE SHALL BE A HALO ABOVE MY HEAD!"

It was glorious… it was majestic… it was-!

"**RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWRRR!"**

The roar of the golden avatar of the Kyūbi, suspended above the monument, blasted Shinachiku from behind, sending him into a screaming frenzy.

It was only until his father's cackles reached his ears did the boy manage to somewhat calm down.

"ITS NOT FUNNY TŌ-SAN!" he cried indignantly.

His pride had not only been wounded – how could he show fear? – but in front of his subjects no less.

"Come on kid!" gasped Naruto, "Did you see your face? KAHAHAHA!" his sides ached and trembled with laughter. "Whoo," wiping his tears, he smirked at his son, "Now remember you can't beat the master at his own game Chiku. So what's up?"

His feelings still hurt, Shinachiku merely pouted and mumbled something.

"Hm? Let's head up so you're not dangling anymore," Naruto said, carrying his son up with a strong leap. "Now what did you say again?"

"It's nothing!"

"You can tell me anything Shinachiku," Naruto said. He waited a bit watching his son stew in his emotions and opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off.

"It's just so annoying! No one ever takes me seriously!" he exploded.

"Well," Naruto brushed a hand through his own shortened blond locks, "It _is_ kinda hard to take a kid seriously when he's always shouting about how he's gonna surpass the Kage's."

"But how else is anyone gonna see me for me-ttebasa?! Everyone's always like 'ooh that's not how a Hokage's son is meant to act' or 'what would your parents say if they see you like this!' Don't be so loud, don't talk with your mouth full, don't interrupt the lessons, don't do this, don't do that… it's just a load of CRAP!"

Naruto smiled softly as the tears in Shinachiku's eyes built up.

"Yeah, you're right. A Hokage's son shouldn't do any of those things," Shinachiku's head shot up, looking at his father with eyes full of betrayal; however Naruto calmly placed a hand on his head.

"But you're different, Chiku. Yeah you may be clumsy and yeah you may be loud… you are not just 'the Hokage's son', you are Uzumaki Shinachiku, Shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato, and you are _my precious son_."

He was hit with a wave of nostalgia as he watched his son break down in front of him before latching onto his neck.

He knew that Shinachiku was more like Sakura than he let on in regards to their insecurities, with his being how people perceive him. And like him, Shinachiku was also someone who bottles things up rather than sharing his true feelings with others apart from his family.

His memories scrolled back to the night of his graduation when Iruka-sensei acknowledged him for the first time as he stroked Shinachiku's back. It was the night when his life was turned around, first by the revelation of just why people hated him, and then by realising that there was another person out there apart from Sandaime-jiji and the Ichiraku's who acknowledged him. All in all it gave him a major boost in life.

He hoped that his words would have a similar impact on Shinachiku.

When Shinachiku's tears dried up and he pulled back, Naruto gave him a toothy grin, one which was returned. "Hey Chiku?"

"Hm?"

"I may be the Hokage, and there may be times in which I might have to prioritise the needs of the village over your own. But never forget that I am always here with you, you and your kā-chan. That's why I marked you both with the Hiraishin no Jutsu shiki," the older blond rested his fingers over the younger blond's heart, where the seal was. "No matter what anybody says, we both have faith in you. Be strong kid, all these things are a learning curve and you've gotta tough it out because you're a Ninja too.

"We Uzumaki's are a family of Shinobi!"

"Right!" Shinachiku grinned, then pondered out loud, "Even Baby Uzumaki too?"

"Especially Baby Uzumaki! Though you'll have to be a good onīchan and look after Baby Uzumaki," he added. "And your kā-chan too, help her out whenever you can."

"That's a promise! And the great me never breaks his promises!"

"That's what I like to hear," Naruto said as he rose to his feet. "Now let's see your handiwork," grabbing Shinachiku by his waist, he leapt down onto the roof of the Administration building. When they landed, Shinachiku was immediately hounded by Konohamaru and he casted his gaze towards the Monument. Written on each face was a different insult.

Shodai – idiot twig

Nidaime – dorky puddle

Sandaime – pervy chimp

Yondaime – flaky geezer

Godaime – old hag

Rokudaime – ugly perv

Nanadaime – can't…

"Oi Chiku!" Naruto cried as he rounded onto his son, "What the hell do you mean 'can't perform'?! Who's been telling you these lies?!"

"Huh? No I heard Inojin's dad telling Kiba-oji that he was surprised I was born, he said that he thought you couldn't perform or something."

_That bastard!_ Naruto fumed, biting into his fist as he tried to come up with a way to make Sai pay.

"Hey boss!" Konohamaru called, "Don't you have a meeting to get to?"

"Yeah I'm just getting to that," Naruto muttered, still miffed. He clasped a hand on Shinachiku's shoulder. "Remember to clean that up," he said gesturing to the 'decorations', "and don't forget what I told you either. Now hold on, I'll drop you off in the office." He glanced up, eyes lifting higher than the Monument and his sharp gaze caught the form of a young bespectacled girl who, he'd noticed, kept her eyes on his son.

Strange behaviour but he's seen worse.

One jump via the Hiraishin later and the pair were in the Hokage's office along with Shizune and Shikamaru.

And another person who was _not_ amused and busy cracking her knuckles.

"S-Sakura-chan?"/"Kā-chan?" bullets of water were streaming down both father and sons faces.

"Why is it that while I was just signing off, I hear about the Hokage Monument being desecrated by my son of all people? And why were you screaming you are holy throughout heaven and earth?" Sakura asked, completely lost for words on where her son may have picked that up.

Naruto added his own two ryō in with, "Yeah Chiku how did you come up with that?"

Shinachiku merely shrugged, "I dunno, it just came out."

"And you!" Sakura rounded onto her husband, "Why was Kurama out to scare our son? I mean what if he fell?" Tears began to bloom in her eyes and she held Shinachiku close to her in a smothering hug. "W-What if I lost my baby boy?" She buried her face into Shinachiku's spiky blond locks, muffling the sound of her sobs.

Shinachiku gave his tō-san a look asking just what the hell was going on. In response Naruto sent him a look telling him to just go with it.

Shikamaru could only mutter troublesome, though he made sure it came out as a faint whisper not wanting to set Sakura off.

"Sakura-chan," Sakura lifted her head, accepting the tissues from Shizune with a small thank you. "You know I'll never let anything bad happen to Chiku or any of us. Besides Shinachiku enjoyed it, didn't you?" the young blond nodded. "So take it easy Sakura-chan neh? I'm sure all that worrying can't be good for you or Baby Uzumaki can it?"

Sakura smiled softly as her husband enveloped her in a hug, having released Shinachiku beforehand. Shizune and Shikamaru quietly left the office not wanting to third wheel on the family moment.

"And don't you think it's time for you to take that maternity leave?" Naruto asked.

"I know but just staying at home resting is so boring at times. There's not much I can do there anyway, but working makes me feel useful healing others."

"Yeah but at the same time, won't you be stressing yourself especially as the baby is taking some of your chakra as well?"

"But-"

"Sakura-chan," Naruto looked deep into her eyes, "you've done a brilliant job already having trained up a majority of the staff. Think of it like the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, all these people going around healing others using the skills _you_ taught them… that should let you know that you are always being useful regardless of if you're on leave or sleeping. It's _you_ that's having a hand healing all these people."

A rosy hue spread across Sakura's cheeks before she cowed her head to hide it. "B-Baka," she spluttered, "s-stop saying stuff like that."

A deep chuckle rumbled from Naruto's chest with an equally deep grin to match it. "Anything for my darling wife!" he placed a light kiss on her forehead knowing that it was her preferred spot.

Drawing back he said, "Anyway, I've got to run now, the meeting was supposed to start some while ago." He picked up his Kage hat as he headed towards the exit. "Shinachiku will escort you home first then he'll clean up the monument."

Reaching the door, he turned round to face his family once more not expecting Sakura to be right in front of him. She captured his lips in a short but sweet kiss before breaking it.

"I love you Naruto."

Naruto smiled softly, "And I love you too."

Opening the door and giving Shinachiku a wink, he joined Shikamaru in the hallway, heading off all the while grinning for the whole world to see.

* * *

><p>"Tadaima," called one Uchiha Sarada as she entered her home, not before removing her sandals.<p>

"I'm in here!"

Sarada followed the voice of her mother into their living room where she was splayed across a sofa, idly flicking through the channels on their television with clear boredom etched across her features. "How was the Academy?"

"It was fine…" Karin sent a questioning look towards Sarada.

"What's wrong?" asked Karin as she rose to a seated position with some difficulty.

Sarada gained a somewhat pensive look. "Mama, boys are really stupid aren't they?"

"Huh? Don't tell me, Shinachiku did one of his pranks again?" Sarada answered with a gesture of her head. Karin rose to her feet as quickly as her protruding stomach allowed her to. "Well let's get started on dinner while you tell me all about it." She waddled towards the kitchen with her daughter quickly joining her side.

"Why are we starting so early mama?"

"Well Sasuke-kun is coming back tonight so we have to make extra!" Karin gleefully answered.

"Papa is?" Mother's excitement was easily matched by daughter. "I can't wait to see him again!"

* * *

><p>"You're finally here," remarked the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi. "You had me come all the way out here and you who's holding this meeting shows up late?"<p>

"Seriously," muttered the Mizukage.

"My family needed me," Naruto responded, with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Ah well, don't worry 'bout it," Darui said. "We all know what it's like to be busy people. Just forgive him."

"That's enough chit-chat for now. Let's get on with the meeting, Hokage." Gaara said.

Placing his hat on the table before him he sat himself down.

"All right, let's get this Gokage Kaidan started dattebayo!"

* * *

><p><em>Once upon a time, there was a great fox spirit with nine tails.<em>

_The fox was sealed inside a ninja child._

_The ninja child was ostracized due to what he contained but he persevered and he never gave up._

_In time, he won over the masses._

_In time, he won over the fox spirit._

_A new terror came in the form of the J__ū__bi being revived, but the child had become a real ninja and together with the fox spirit, they became one and were able to seal the J__ū__bi away._

_He was the son of the Yondaime Hokage._

_He never gave up on his dreams…_

_Most importantly, he never gave up on his **heart**._

_He is the Nanadaime Hokage._

_He is Uzumaki Naruto._

* * *

><p>AN: and that's a wrap. Just to remind you again the next chapter is an afterword where I will explain my thought processes as I wrote this short piece along with fully explaining my views regarding the ending.

Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it. I might come back to edit this chapter in the future as I feel that I haven't written it to the best of my abilities being rather rusty and all.

Also, Karin isn't fat just pregnant. I'm putting this there in case there are any misconceptions not that I expect there to be but you can never be too sure.

On another note, any fans of Requiem of a Pipe Dream reading this, I'm working on it. Don't give up hope.

I hope you all enjoyed reading this twoshot.


	3. Afterword

Afterword.

Once again thank you all for reading this story. I really appreciate it. Now for a few – read: a lot of – words regarding the last two chapters.

The title Reconstruction came about from Fullmetal Alchemist where they explained the process of Alchemy being deconstruction, analysis and reconstruction. Initially I had wanted the title to be something to do with a multiverse or parallel universe, but like alchemy I am deconstructing Kishimoto's chapters, analysing it and reconstructing it in the way I feel it should have gone. I don't want what I wrote to be some parallel universe to Kishimoto's work, I want it to be separate.

**699**

First things first, I consider this chapter to be the best piece of writing I've wrote so far on this site. Seriously.

Originally I planned on just releasing 700 and leaving it like that but then I realised how stupid that was. How will I explain the events of 699 without doing my own rendition? It would've made me no better than Kishimoto with his dodgy ending and filler movie.

Also the 699 I released was the second draft I had written up. First draft contained so much unnecessary filler so I scrapped it.

Now again I planned on not having the scene between Naruto and Hinata, but as I was typing this story I was listening to Recovery by Eminem and it was on Not Afraid, particularly on the bridge where he says that he can't keep living this way. That made me think that how can Naruto lead on Hinata like that? If he just hooks up with Sakura without releasing her then that will be a kick to the crotch if anything.

So I wrote that scene, and found myself liking what I wrote not in the sense of 'I hate Hinata, take that you bitch' but in the sense of liking how they expressed their feelings. With Hinata's smile to Naruto where he remarks of it being similar, think of it as his so called happy mask where he had to smile to reassure himself that everything will be ok when the going got tough. Since she wanted to emulate him so badly and has stalked him before, it shouldn't be any surprise that she picked up a few traits either knowingly or unknowingly.

With Naruto's desire not to get with anyone else and stay single, well when you have someone like him who is always spouting their nindo of never giving up then I find it hard to believe he would give up on Sakura even if she is with Sasuke. Narf-for-the-Garthoc has made two amazing fics using this idea which shows that it can work.

But the response I received regarding the scene was overwhelmingly supportive, with comments about how they felt their heart go out for Hinata. I think that if you can make an emotional seen hit people with the feels train then you've done a great job so I'm happy with that.

Now for the gate scene. On the way to the gate where Sakura asks Kakashi for advice, it mirrors a novel that Kishimoto co-wrote back in 2010 based on Jiraiya's Tale of a Gutsy Ninja and it has a scene where the main female lead is there to see the main male lead's rival head off and she has no idea of what to do with regards to her feelings for the two boys. Her sensei just tells her think of what makes her happy and it is Naruto who comes to mind.

The part where Sasuke calls her his imōto stems from Sasuke's action of doing the Itachi finger thing to her. The way I see it is that it reflects a form of sibling love rather than romantic, and him calling her his younger sister shows that he acknowledges her, not just that but enough for him to consider her as a sister much like he does Naruto a brother. By doing that, he unknowingly releases her which is why she thanks him.

Team Taka were shown because Kishimoto failed to show them in his chapters. I mean what was the point of them having being in the series if you're not gonna show them after the war at least once. It was as if they were only created as a safety net to prevent Sasuke's death.

When I planned the final scene with Naruto and Sakura, the original plan was for it to take place on top of the Hokage Monument, but I felt that using the bench will be more meaningful because back in Chapter 3 while Naruto posed as Sasuke, he was reminded of why he loved Sakura. This time round, Sakura gives him a proper confession which comes full circle for him.

The issue of the Genin bench scene (the one in manga Chapter 3) not being reference has been raised by Logan Locke in his review but what I told him was that I wanted to bring it up without it being out of nowhere, I wanted it to flow with the rest of the dialogue. For me, that scene was a confession and the start of something beautiful. From the way I see it, the Genin bench scene would've been raised while they were dating and Naruto makes the same remark about wanting to kiss her forehead because he will at some point.

Also the part about Sakura imagining her potential life with the two boys was inspired by Scribe of the Apocolypse's The Difference a Kiss can Make. Scribe if you're out there reading this, as hypocritical it is of me, please finish your story. It's amazing and where you left it off was just so pivotal.

**700**

Shinachiku:

Okay first things first, I named Naruto and Sakura's son Shinachiku firstly to pay homage to John Smith's One Big Uzumaki Family which is one of my favourite stories on this site, and secondly to distance my character from Boruto or Bolt or whatever he's called. That's it, it's got nothing to do with the Naruban which I will come on to later on.

Shinachiku inherits the Namikaze looks i.e. actual spiky hair like his grandfather and blue eyes, not that weird flame hairstyle thing Boruto has got going for him.

As for Shinachiku's character, in case you didn't catch on, he behaves just like Black Star from Soul Eater. I went down this route because like his father and Konohamaru, Shinachiku doesn't want to be seen as just the Hokage's son (or demon fox or honourable grandson), so as a result he will make bold declarations. Naruto wanted to become Hokage so that people could acknowledge him, Shinachiku took this a few steps further and made his dream to surpass all of the Kage's. Black Star wanted to be the man to surpass Kami so I felt that his personality would suit Shinachiku.

Him having a crush on Rekka was something I added to give his character more depth. He's like seven so having a girl such as Rekka around the household a lot is bound to cause something to rise (not that, get your minds out of the gutter!). Since he is the one to surpass the Kage's only Rekka is suitable for him seeing as she's the youngest Jōnin on the force.

The name Rekka means strong fire or flame, so tying in with Asuma's Katon jutsus. I got it from Yahoo answers and I'll paste what I read here:

"There may be no one which names to own child as meaning Fire in Japan.  
>Japanese tends to consider a daughter to be beautiful, polite, kind, happy, brilliant...<br>Fire evokes angry for me.  
>Either non fiction or artist name is possible for a strong impression.<br>So I think it gives a great impression if you use it very properly.  
>For example, not famous but Japanese artist actually exists having means Fire.<br>Rekka means strong fire or flame and sounds good."

Answer by takaaki.

That's why I didn't use a name like Natsu or Natsumi.

Hinata:

What I really wanted to show with Hinata is how she has progressed from 699 over the time skip. In this instance she is now the Hyūga clan head. While this may seem like the only avenue available to her, I digress. She could've become a Jōnin instructor like Kurenai or an instructor at the Academy. What I wanted to show was since she adopted Naruto's never give up attitude, what's stopping her from also adopting a similar dream, which in this case, being the clan head.

The part about the power struggles was to show that everything wasn't all hunky dory after the war, just because the big baddie is gone it doesn't mean that everyone is gonna just turn good. An example is post WWII. After that, albeit many years down the line, came the Cold War, a war full of subterfuge and politics like the Cuba Missile Crisis and the Space Race. Everyone wants to have the control and they'll do anything to get it no matter the method.

As for her relationship status, well I don't think she'd have time to date seeing as she was stepping into a new role and still getting over Naruto. Obviously Kō was an implied interest, but who knows what the future might hold for her? Maybe someone from Kumo would come and sweep her off her feet or maybe she'll fall for Lee's power of youth, who knows? The world is her oyster.

Tenten:

I can't express how disappointed I was when I saw how Kishimoto just threw her into a shop keeping role. Yes, she is one of the lesser shown characters but I was insulted by how he makes her state her dream as being a Kunoichi who is as good as Tsunade but then just disregards it. I wanted to correct that.

In this case, Tenten still owns the weapons store as a means of generating extra income while she travels around the Elemental Nations teaching other Genin/Academy students in the usage of weaponry. That way she is still employing the skills that she has spent the majority of her life cultivating.

Inojin:

With Inojin, I wanted him and Shinachiku to have a similar relationship that their fathers do, so instead of insulting genitalia's, Inojin has a crush on Sakura and that's not cool.

However his crush on Sakura wasn't just thrown into there. From what I saw in manga chapter 700, Inojin seems to be rather timid/afraid of his mother, so going by that avenue, while he can't open up to his sassy mother or socially and emotionally stunted father, he turns to his more level headed godmother. Sakura is the one he goes to for advice and like Shinachiku with Rekka, a childhood crush is born.

This was mainly to give depth to his character as well.

Sakura:

Sakura has matured greatly and has settled into motherhood rather well. She has become the new head of the hospital seeing as Tsunade is retired and drinking her days away. I wanted her to be more than a housewife that Kishimoto showed her to be, like with Tenten she has all these skills but ends up wasting it away.

She is about 7 and a half months pregnant so in her third trimester. UK laws regarding maternity leave states that it starts from 11 weeks until the pregnancy is due, so going by the 10 months pregnancy rule, she should've gone on maternity leave one week prior to this chapter. However she is a bit of a workaholic so it's hard for her to adjust and hence Naruto's speech.

Obviously she's being affected by pregnancy hormones and mood swings, but she's still able to work with non-emergency situations.

Sarada:

Mangastream has her name as Salad. I'm not down with that so I'm sticking with Sarada. I presume it's another DBZ reference by Kishimoto, rather silly if you ask me. I'm sure he was all shits and giggles when he wrote down 'Salad'.

Anyway, Sarada is a bit of a daddy's girl as what I gleamed from the manga. She looks exactly the same as her manga counterpart seeing as manga Sarada looks like the product of Karin and Sasuke.

Karin:

Karin is also heavily pregnant. I got the idea of her being pregnant at the same time as Sakura from a NaruKure drabble-fic by serialhugger called Naruto Kurenai Drabbles Etc. One of the chapters had Kurenai announcing her pregnancy the same time as Anko, who was married to Sasuke did, showing their rivalry was still ongoing in a weird sort of way.

Maybe she's a researcher now in Konoha or a doctor or a sensor-nin, who knows?

Sasuke:

Sasuke is still roaming to and fro with his other teammates but he does visit home quite often.

Naruto:

The biggest change I wanted to show with Naruto is that he's a happy dad not that pissed off, grumpy blond guy in chapter 700. He still retains his sense of humour, hence the counter prank, and is not concerned about how his son's behaviour reflects on him. He's not so self-absorbed that he doesn't think about the why's of the prank, instead just going straight to scolding.

The two motivational talks he gave to his wife and kid is a product of him being Hokage. As a leader he has to be able to motivate his subordinates so that's how that skill blossoms.

I can see him as being more like Minato in his later years, being calmer and in control but still retaining his playfulness and unpredictability.

So that's all for the two chapters.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Naruban:<strong>

I do not endorse this so called Naruban that people are trying to get into action. I think that it is very childish and reflects badly on the rest of the NaruSaku community.

**Final words regarding the Naruto series:**

I don't know what more I can say that hasn't been said already. Apparently in this new filler movie Kishimoto is dropping he's planning on having Naruto say that his feelings for Sakura were only a product of his rivalry with Sasuke. I think that's a very big insult not just to the NaruSaku fans but his entire fanbase as a whole. You give NaruSaku1 15 years of development and it just turns out to be a sham, what are people gonna say about the series in the future? Are they going to praise the plot or are they going to say "it was going well but he lost the plot at the end." I know what I will say.

I'm not going to watch the movie neither will I read any of the new things he'll release related to the series. If I wanted to read fanfiction I'll simply come onto this site.

All in all, I'm simply disappointed.

If you're still reading this, once again thank you. I hope you've enjoyed this so far. Any questions, you can PM me or review or whatever.

Goodbye for now.

I'll be back soon, I promise.

Deus Namikaze.


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